On Jan. 7 — the day after his supporters stormed the Capitol — then-President Donald Trump was suspended indefinitely from Facebook and Instagram. On Wednesday, we will find out if that suspension will continue.
The Facebook Oversight Board is expected to announce its decision on Trump’s Facebook account at 9 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday.
Trump used Facebook and other platforms to post a video that told his supporters to stop rioting and go home, but also said, “We love you, you’re very special.”
That apparently was the last straw for Facebook, as well as other social media networks such as Twitter, which also suspended Trump. On Jan. 7, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.”
The decision to either allow Trump back or continue his ban will be made by the oversight board, which is an outside group that is funded by Facebook. Zuckerberg cannot overrule their decision.
For a good primer on the Trump case, the oversight board and how the process works, check out this story from The Washington Post’s Rachel Lerman and Heather Kelly.
This piece originally appeared in The Poynter Report, our daily newsletter for everyone who cares about the media. Subscribe to The Poynter Report here.